International Students

The college accepts and enrolls students who are citizens of countries other than the United States. Full-time international students are issued Forms I–20 to enable them to apply for student visas.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for enrollment at the college, international students must meet the same admissions requirements as domestic students in addition to other specific international requirements. International students must submit the following materials to the Office of Admissions:

Application for admission and a $50 application fee

Recommendation letter from high school counselor or teacher

Official transcripts, academic records, diplomas, national examination results, certificates or degrees received from all secondary, post-secondary, university and/or professional schools and any necessary translations. These transcripts should be submitted directly to an approved professional evaluation service for a course-by-course evaluation (World Education Services or other Westminster approved service). Students who graduate from an American International School are exempt from this requirement. There may be other exceptions granted on a case-by-case basis.

Official test scores: The SAT and the ACT are not required for international students. However, as further evidence of their academic performance, we strongly encourage students to submit scores if they have taken either exam. These scores are required,
however, for non-U.S. citizens whose primary and secondary education took place in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, or the U.S. The scores may also be required from students who studied at an American International School.

Evidence of adequate financial support to cover the total cost of attendance for two semesters. This most commonly comes in the form of a certified bank statement or bank letter as well as a Statement of Financial Responsibility as issued by Westminster College.

International students who are non-native speakers of English must submit results of a standardized English language test. Students whose primary and secondary education took place in one of the countries listed above or who graduated from an English-speaking high school may be exempt from this requirement. Westminster College accepts scores from TOEFL, IELTS, or Pearsons. The required scores for undergraduate admission include one
of the following:

TOEFL ibt: 79
TOEFL pbt: 550
IELTS: 6.5
Pearsons: 53

Multilingual international students who do not meet the Westminster College English language admission requirement may be conditionally accepted to the College through the English for International Students Bridge Program.

The required scores for the Bridge Level 2 Program include one of the following:

TOEFL ibt: 61
TOEFL pbt: 500
IELTS: 6.0
Pearsons: 44

The required scores for the Bridge Level 1 Program include one of the following:

TOEFL ibt: 45
TOEFL pbt: 450
IELTS: 5.5
Pearsons: 39

International students who have attended another college or university in the U. S. and have completed a minimum of 15 academic credits may be accepted as transfer students and may not need to present a TOEFL score.

All materials submitted to the Office of Admissions become the property of the college and cannot be returned to the student or sent to another school. If the student’s school or ministry of education issues only one copy of secondary school grades or examination scores, the Office of Admissions will make a certified copy and return the original to the student; however, in all cases copies must be made from originals. Duplicated copies will not be accepted.

Once all required documentation has been received and the student has been accepted for admission, a Form I–20 will be sent to the student.